Why is GOP fighting disclosure?

For years, campaign finance debaters all agreed on one thing: disclosure. Now President Barack Obama ponders an executive order to require federal contractors to make public their campaign spending.

Instead of cheering, the House promptly voted to oppose such a plan. Disclosure – once worthy, even boring – is now deemed scary. Yet another newly discovered threat to liberty.

Story Continued Below

The president should ignore the howls and act to impose some modest measure of accountability on the new world of secret campaign cash.

Last year, of course, Citizens United overturned the ban on direct corporate spending in campaigns. At the same time, by an 8-1 margin, the justices resoundingly endorsed disclosure.

“The First Amendment protects political speech; and disclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way,” the justices cheered. “This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.”

But after the ruling, independent spending soared in the midterm elections — and much of the new money was spent by third party groups, who refused to divulge the source of funds. Secret sources paid for one third of all independent spending. Money talks, but it doesn’t leave its name.

The best solution would be a uniform federal law to assure disclosure. Last year such a measure won wide support. It passed the House, and garnered votes of 59 senators. In this era of the permanent filibuster, however, that wasn’t enough.

The feckless Federal Election Commission could do something, but don’t hold your breath. Meanwhile, secret spenders in both parties are readying a fierce, toxic campaign for next year.

Fortunately, Obama need not wait for Congress to act. He has ample authority to protect the integrity of federal contracting with an executive order boosting transparency. Details are not final, but the plan would likely expand existing disclosure laws. Companies – still barred from making direct campaign gifts — would have to disclose campaign spending of more than $5,000, including spending through third party organizations.